Alternative Investments

US stocks reached a notable milestone earlier this week when the bull market turned six years old. As Charlie Bilello of Pension Partners notes, only twice in its history has the S&P 500 Index recorded a better six-year stretch. Read more

Highlights from February include an update from Ted Seides, CFA, seven years into his famous 10-year bet with Warren Buffett; an examination of Islamic finance’s track record and future prospects; an online forum exploring the question of whether finance is a noble profession; and more. Read more

Since 1975, when the first Islamic commercial bank was established in Dubai, Islamic finance has come a long way. Its global assets are now estimated to be around US $1.5 trillion across the banking sector, capital markets, and takaful, or Islamic insurance. Given the available track record, how do informed observers characterize the development of this most prominent form of faith-based finance? Read more

Standing seven years into a 10-year wager with Warren Buffett that hedge funds would outperform the S&P 500, we sure look wrong. What follows is an assessment of why, and an outlook on where to go from here. Read more

Global oil prices have plunged by approximately 50% over the past seven months, their sharpest price drop since the 2008 global financial crisis. The sudden fall can be attributed to a confluence of factors — most notably, weaker demand because of sluggish economies around the world, a surge in supply because of the shale energy boom in the United States, and a relatively stable geopolitical backdrop (insofar as there have been no meaningful supply disruptions). Read more

Top articles from January explore the recent oil price plunge, the fundamental utility of bitcoins, what the recent moves by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) mean for the interplay between central banks and markets, and offer some revealing charts on deflation and other topics. Read more

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Disclaimer

All posts are the opinion of the author. As such, they should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute or the author’s employer.